The Baloch nationalist parties, both in the ruling coalition and the opposition, are opposing Prime Minister Imran Khan's proposal to give nationality to children of Afghan and Bengali immigrants born in Pakistan.
Talking to Business Recorder, the lawmakers from nationalist parties particularly the Balochistan National Party (BNP) of Akhtar Mengal, an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), made it clear that they would oppose any such move unless a consensus is reached in parliament after a thorough debate.
"We expect PTI to bring this issue for an exhaustive debate in the upcoming session of National Assembly on October 29", said Mohammad Hashim, Member National Assembly from BNP. Speaking in the context of Afghans living in Balochistan, he said that his party was not against the fundamental rights of refugees, but indigenous people have the first right over natural resources and other rights as first class citizens relative to foreigners/aliens.
"We will not allow anyone to deprive the people of Balochistan of their rights", he said, adding that the party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal has already explained the party's position on Prime Minister Khan's proposal and "is against any such arrangement to give citizenship to Afghan refugees".
According to UNHCR, there are some 2.1 million registered Afghans living in Pakistan. Official sources said that the Ministry of Human Rights has asked National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and other relevant departments to collect data of Afghan and Bengali immigrants living in Pakistan since long.
They said once the process of data collection is completed, a report would be submitted to the Prime Minister for further action.
Soon after the announcement, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, the chief of BNP which is the coalition partner of PTI, termed Prime Minister Imran Khan's decision "disappointing". "On the one hand, Durand Line [border between Pakistan and Afghanistan] is being fenced and on the other hand Afghan refugees are being provided National Identity Cards and passports. If you [Imran Khan] want to give Afghanis Pakistani nationality, you should also end Durand Line and fencing of the border," Mengal said while referring to the law and order situation due to the presence of Afghan refuges in the country.
Talking to Business Recorder, the party MNA Mohammad Hashim further said that the BNP chief Akhtar Mengal has also shared the party's reservations with Prime Minister Imran Khan in a recent meeting in which he was given an assurance that no decision would be taken unless all political parties are taken on board.
Mohammad Tahir Bizinjo of National Party (NP), a Baloch nationalist from the opposition political party, said that the Prime Minister should have consulted the provinces which host the Afghans and Bengali immigrants before making an announcement in this regard.
According to him, various surveys have suggested that 80 percent of the Afghans are involved in crimes, adding that the continued presence of the refugees and the unregistered Afghan nationals is posing a serious threat to national security.